Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 1942. B, C w Lso 2,295,984

7 VACUUM CLEANER Filed Feb. 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 any. 1.

511119665 6 MAM/i ATTORNEYS B. C. WILSON VACUUM CLEANER Sept. 15, 1942.

Filed Feb. 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO R N EYS Patented Sept. 15, 1M2

, UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Burgess 0. Wilson, Oneonta, N. Y. 7

Application fez-:2: 12111485.? No.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and has for an object to provide a vacuum cleaner in which the air flow will not be obstructed by accumulated dirt to impair the efficiency of the suction device, this object being attained by first causing the dirt to be sucked into an air tight container and then filtering the air through an inverted filtering bag set directly over the dirt container;

A conventional vacuum cleaner accumulates all the collected dirt in a bag and due to the fact that the air is continuously passing through the dirt previously collected and the'collected dirt is continuously being added to and building up more and more resistance to the air flow, the emciency of the cleaner gradually decreases until the accumulated dirt shuts ofl all the air flow and the bag must be removed and emptied. When the dirt collected happens to be of a dense nature,a comparatively small amount causes this condition.

With the above in mind, the present invention provides a cleaner in which the greater portion of the indrawn dirt falls by gravityand centrifugal force to the bottom of the container and lies dormant there out of the path of the air flow, while the balance is intercepted on the walls of the filtering bag above. Each time the cleaner is shut oil, the filtering bag collapses and the accumulated dirt falls into the container be-.

low and remains there, leaving the filteringbag free to pass a maximum amount of air when the cleaner is again turned on. By thus purging the air stream of the indrawn dirt, the accumulation of a greater amount of dirt is possible than with the conventional cleaner, and moreover, the

cleaner remains at a high peak of efliciency through the full capacity of the container.

A further object is to provide a portable vacuum cleaner which may be easily rolled or wheeled from place to place and which will include separable sections nesting together with self-sealing joints actuated bysuction when the cleaner is in operation.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inex-' pensive to manufacture, and which will not easily set out of order.

With the above'and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, 'itbeing under-.

stood that various modiflcationsmay be resorted rolled upon itself to to within the, scopeof the appendedclaim 'wmi- I h from place to place.

' in the path ofthe out departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 1

' In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

igure 1 is a front elevation of a vacuum cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention. I 5

Figure 2 is a plan view of the vacuum cleaner shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the viacuum cleaner, with the bag in operative posit on.

Figure 4 is a top plan view tainer sealing ring.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the filter casing sealing ring.

of the dirt con- Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the motor bonnet type bailie inclined slightly downwardly in the dirt container, which breaks the force of the indrawn dirt laden air and diverts it in the direction of the natural swirl created in tainer by the action of the-suction fans. Figure 8 is an exploded sectional-view showing the dirt container'sealing ring, the filter casing sealingring, and filtering bag gasket, separated.

Referring now to the drawings inwhich like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, "I designates a rectangular base having a pair of ground wheels I I and a caster wheel I! for supporting the vacuum cleaner and permitting the same being wheeled. or rolled the con- The vacuum cleaner comprises a cylindrical container ll adapted to be supported on the base I II. An elbow intake pipe I4 enters a sealing ring I! forthetop of laterally inclined bonnet type baiiie It. The bonnet type baflie is open at both ends and lies natural swirl created in the container by the action of the suction fans. This bonnet breaks the force of the indrawn dirt laden air and diverts precipitated by gravity and centrifugal force on the bottom of the'container and lie dormant there out of the path of the airflow. A conventional coupling I1 is to facilitate the attachment of various utensils,

' The upper edge portion of the the container and within the a container is provided with a downwardly and itin the direction of the natural swirl so that the collected dirt will be secured tothe intake pipe container is iprovide a is of circular 1 cross section; The sealing ring I! isprovided with i a groove I! which receives the rim II, and a 1-9-1114 silient gasket 20 is disposed in the groove on top of the rim. The sealing ring is provided with a second groove 2|, which is formed on the top face thereof to receive a gasket 22 which will be hereinafter described in detail.

A cylindrical filter casing 23, having both ends open, is supported upon the dirt container sealing ring IS. A clamp ring 24 is disposed in the open bottom of the casing and is provided with a groove 25 which coacts with the groove 2| in the dirt container sealing ring to receive the gasket 22. A dirt collecting bag 26 of porous material is mounted in inverted position in the filter casing 23 to filter dust from the air stream when the vacuum cleaner is in use. A collar 21 is secured in the mouth of the bag to hold the mouth in open position, and is provided with a pressed-in channel 28 in which the mouth of the bag is-disposed and there clamped by a cord 29 or other means tied around the mouth of the bag in the channel. The lower edge portion of the collar is provided with an outwardly directed base flange 33 which is received in a groove 3| formed in the inner periphery of the gasket 22. The gasket thus forms a resilient binding, it may be called, for the mouth of the bag to hold' the same sealed air tight between the clamp ring 24 and thedirt container sealing ring I5.

Each time the cleaner is shut off, the filter bag 28 collapses into the dirt container l3 through the rigid .collar 21 and remains in the container, thereby dumping the trapped dust into the container and clearing the pores of the bag for passing a maximum amount of air when the cleaner is again turned on.

The filter casing 23 is provided at the top with a sealing ring 32 having a groove 33 which receives a rolled rim 34 formed on the upper edge portion of the casing. A gasket 35 is received in the groove above the rim and forms an air tight seal at the top of the casing. The ring 32 is provided at the top face with a groove 36 which is concentric with the groove 33 and receives a gasket 31.

Superposed on the filter casing sealing ring 32 is a cylindrical housing 38 which is open at the bottom and is provided in its closed top 39 with perforations 40. A motor and fan unit 4! is supported in the housing by spiders 42. A clamp ring 43 is formed integral with the bottom of the housing and is provided with a groove 44 in the top face which coacts with the groove 36 in the sealing ring 32 in receiving the gasket 31 to form an air tight seal between the housing 38 and the filter casing 23. The fan 45 sucks air through the intake pipe I4, dirt container l3, filter bag 26, filter casing 23, into the housing 38 and expels it through the perforations 40 to collect dirt and deposit it in the dirt container 13 while filtering any dust therefrom as the air stream passes through the filter bag 21 held upright in operative position in the filter casing by the air stream.

For holding the housing 38 against dislodgment from the casing 23 when the device is being wheeled to different locations, a plurality of latches 46 are pivoted on hinge ears 4'! on the housing 38 and are provided with pivotally attached hooks 48 which are engaged underneath undercut lugs 49 formed on the sealing ring 32. Likewise, latches 50 are pivoted on ears 5| carfied by the filter casing 23 and are equipped with pivoted hooks 52 which engage over projecting lugs 53 on the sealing ring 32. For holding the filter casing 23 from dislodgement from the dirt container while the cleaner is being maneuvered, latches 54 are pivoted on ears 55 carried by the casing, and are equipped with pivoted hooks 58 which are engaged underneath undercut lugs 51 formed on the dirt container sealing ring l5. Likewise, latches 58 are pivoted on lugs 59 on the dirt container l3 and are equipped with pivoted hooks G0 which are engaged over projecting lugs 6i on the dirt container sealing ring.

A bail 62 is secured to the dirt container for maneuvering the cleaner.

Since the operation of the parts has been described as the description of the parts progressed, it is thought the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is: r

A vacuum cleaner including a cylindrical dirt container open at the top, a cylindrical casing open at itsends of smaller diameter than the container, a motor fan unit housing diametrically smaller than the casing and open at the bottom, the container, casing and housing being arranged one above the other in the order named in axial alignment, a sealing ring supporting the casing on the container, a sealing ring supporting the housing on the casing, both sealing rings being similar and each having a downwardly facing outer groove and an upwardly facing groove inwardly of the outer groove, the outer grooves of the sealing rings receiving upper rolled edges formed on the container and easing, gaskets disposed between said edges and the top walls of the outer grooves, an elbow extending through the sealing ring applied to the container provided with means for attaching appliances thereto, a bonnet type baflle attached at the inner opening of said elbow and directed laterally outwardly and downwardly within the container to break the force of the indrawn dirt laden air and divert it in the direction of the natural swirl created in the container, an inverted dust bag, an inextensible collar having a pressed in channel receiving the mouth of the bag, a tie cord clamping the mouth of the bag in the channel tohold the bag open, a gasket secured to the collar and received in the inner groove of the sealing ring attached to the container, a clamp ring secured within the lower end of the casing bearing upon the last named gasket, a clamp ring formed integral with the bottom of the housing provided with a groove registering with the upwardly facing groove on the sealing ring applied to the top of the casing, a gasket in said coacting grooves, and a motor fan unit within the housing creating an updraft to extend the dust bag upwardly into the casing, the dust bag collapsing downwardly into the container when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.

BURGESS C. WILSON. 

